Smooth workflow is one of the reasons why Audio and Video Professionals prefer Mac to Windows. As long as you have the right apps, you wouldn’t face any glitches, per se. If you want to record audio for music production, podcasts or something else, you need the best audio recording software for Mac. By default, Mac allows you to record audio from Mac internal mic, which is fine if you want to take quick audio notes. However, if you want professional audio quality, we recommended using a USB mic like. If you want to record system audio,.
Most the following Mac Audio recorder allows you to change audio source. Down below, we have covered some of the best audio recording software for Mac that you can use. It’ll take you a few extra clicks to start recording audio with QuickTime. First, launch the app from the Spotlight, and go to File New Audio Recording. For instance, QuickTime lets you change the recording source — pick between the internal microphone and the system audio (with SoundFlower). You can also change the Recording quality between High and Maximum. Once these are set, just hit the Record button.
As the program records your voice, you can see the size of the recording file also. Once you’ve recorded the whole thing, you can export the file as MPEG-4 Audio file.
How to record sound on a mac. November 5, 2016 Tips 71 Comments +1. As for the recording software Audacity, it is powerful with many features and if you want to record sound with a light and simple software on your Windows: Shirley J Mintz August 11, 2017 Reply. Open QuickTime Player from your Applications folder. Open the File menu and select New Audio Recording. You will see a very simple user interface with sound recording controls. You may click on the Down Arrow next to the record button to select your sound input (microphone). Microphone volume.
However, there is no option to pause audio recording, you can only stop it and start a new one. Pros. Really easy-to-use interface. Built-in macOS. Ability to record from different sources including an external Mic Cons. Limited customization options, no option to pause recording.
The interface isn’t suitable for professionals. Limited options for exporting audio The Verdict QuickTime is the best Mac software for casual audio recording. It gets the job done — with minimum things at stake. You don’t have to worry about complex customizations or exporting. Everything you record will be available in a single file.
That having said, we would not recommend QuickTime for professionals. QuickTime Comes Built into Mac 2. Audacity Best for – recording voice over and editing Audacity is a free and open source audio recording software for Mac. We use for recording audio for. You have an option to choose the recording source ( we use it with Blue Yeti mic), recording channel type, audio type etc. As you can see below, it does offer a wider range of control as well.
But, the best part about Audacity for Mac is that it comes along with a bunch of editing tools. In fact, Audacity is a digital audio editor, first, and recorder later. Unlike QuickTime, Audacity lets you perform basic audio editing tasks like editing. You will also find options like effects, voice generation, noise removal, and track-based management.
In case you are into professional audio recording and editing, there is a wide variety of to choose from. Another bright side is that you will be able to export the audio recording in almost any format. The reason, why we prefer Audacity is because it’s cross-platform support (available for Windows, Mac, and Linux) Just as Photoshop save the file in PSD and have all the properties intact, you can save audacity files in AUP, which can be later open and edited from any computer that audacity installed in it. Pros. Professional features for recording & editing.
Multiple audio recording and editing options. Free, Open Source and Cross-platform Cons. Audacity doesn’t have an intuitive interface. Takes time to get used to The Verdict As we said, Audacity is made for professionals.
Did we say that Audacity is free to use? It’s free, open-source and cross-platform. Considering the features you get, it’s an awesome deal as well. At least, you would not have to worry about paying a huge amount for your DAW. (Free and Open Source) 3.
Simple Recorder Best for – quick audio recording Simple Recorder is a truly simple solution for audio recording in Mac. It doesn’t come with many bells or whistles, but it gets the job done.
Unlike QuickTime and Audacity, which takes multiple mouse click to start the recording, Simple Recorder sits in the menu bar and can start the audio recording in just two clicks. Best solution when you want to take quick notes. You can select the source of recording from the drop-down menu. It also lets you set up the volume. In just a single button, Simple Recorder would start the recording process. In the Preferences section, you can pick the recording format, Sample Rate, Channel etc. There are some Pro features like Status Icon, Shortcuts and some levels of Automation.
Pros. Quick and Easy to use. You can manage all the actions from the icon menu itself.
Offers support for different sources and standard customization Cons. Doesn’t offer basic Editing options The Verdict Simple Recorder is the best Mac audio recording app for the intermediate users. Unlike QuickTime, it offers a standard set of customization options. That having said, unlike Audacity, the features aren’t that suitable for professionals either. So, if you think you need somewhat control over recording, go for this. (Free, offers a Pro plan as well) 4. GarageBand Best for – recording audio for music production Technically speaking, GarageBand is a digital audio workstation, not a digital audio recorder (like QuickTime) or a digital audio editor (like Audacity).
In simple words, if you are into recording audio for music production, GarageBand is one of the best choices in town. It’s rich with features and offers the best level of compatibility. Last but not the least, you’d not have to pay a single penny for this program. Like Audacity, GarageBand supports MIDI recording and editing out of the box. However, unlike Audacity, GarageBand has a smaller learning curve and is more stable. Also, it’s compatible with any iOS device. Although it’s a fully-fledged DAW, you don’t need rocket science to record audio using GarageBand.
It even has a dedicated mode for Voice, where you can also select the type of voice recording. For instance, it offers different options for recording Narration Voice and Bright Voice. Just hit the Record button and you can do the exporting part later. Pros. GarageBand is a fully-fledged audio recorder. Comes with built-in audio editing features.
Well-suited for professionals Cons. GarageBand isn’t suitable for Quick Recordings.
Getting used to the interface may take some time The Verdict GarageBand is the recommended choice for professionals out there. If you need the best quality, control as well as performance, you should go for this built-in tool. Although the UI is simple, learning GarageBand will surely help you as an audio professional. (Free, Built-in in Mac) 5. Piezo Best for – recording podcast Piezo from Rogue Amoeba is a simple and wonderful audio recording software for podcasts. If you want to make some amazing podcast recordings with precision, you can count on Piezo. Unlike all of the tools we’ve talked about earlier, Piezo lets you record voice from popular apps like Chrome, Skype, FaceTime, Messages etc.
It is one of the best features for getting precise podcasts, you know. Settings in Piezo are very easy to manage. That having said, it lets you change the Music Quality only. Still, you don’t have to do guesswork here. Piezo has set up some quality pre-sets for music, audio, spoken word etc.
By default, the recordings will be saved in MP3, which is convenient for most people. Just as you can see, the interface is a bit unconventional.
Pros. Really easy-to-use Interface. Quality Presets are useful for quick recording. Supports recording from individual apps Cons. Could have better-exporting options The Verdict Piezo is the best audio recording software for doing podcasts on Mac.
You can simply record your own voice or get inputs from common apps like Chrome or Skype. It is basically minimal but you have options to extend the capabilities of Piezo. ($23, free trial available) 6. Macsome Audio Recorder Best for – recording audio from multiple sources Macsome Audio Recorder is one of the voice recorders that promise to do almost anything. Without bringing all the professional features, Macsome Audio Recorder lets you record audio from multiple sources such as the internal microphone, different apps on your Mac and other hardware. Unlike some other apps, however, it doesn’t offer any kind of optimization.
Despite all these features, the program has a minimal footprint to offer. Did we say mention that Macsome Audio Recorder has one of the best recording management interface as well? You can even use ID tags for organizing your recording files. We really liked how Macsome Audio Recorder works.
You can add separate recording profiles for apps/hardware and start the recording process in a single click. Pros. Simple but effective interface. Supports recording from individual apps/hardware. Super-easy management of recording profiles Cons.
The Recording screen isn’t intuitive The Verdict As it promises, Macsome Audio Recorder is one of the best all-in-one audio recorders for Mac. It might not have the best UI in town, but there are many productive features. When you want a tool that records podcast, music, and speech with the same efficiency, Macsome Audio Recorder would be our take. ($29.95, Free Trial available) 7. Audio Hijack Best for – advanced video recording We already talked about Piezo from Rogue Amoeba, right? Audio Hijack is also from the same developer but it offers advanced features and control.
Inside a nice package, you will find tools for recording almost every type of audio from your Mac. You can even use Audio Hijack for scheduling recordings. It would be the best option when you’re recording audio from the web. The best part is that Audio Hijack comes with different session templates — you have one for internet radio, DVD Audio, Application audio and Web Audio etc.
When it comes to Application mode, you can pick an app from the list and start recording. You can also check out a bunch of built-in effects and filters in Audio Hijack.
It also has an interesting UI that lets you manage how the recording process works. Overal Audio Hijack is one of the best audio recording software for Mac if you are looking for advanced features. Pros. Professional Interface and Intuitive UI. In-built options for filters and sound effects. Advanced options are available Cons. None worth noting The Verdict Audio Hijack is one of the very few Mac audio recording software that is worth paying for.
You get a whole bunch of features like filters, effects, and top-to-bottom control. Even if you’re not into it, you can get a cool audio recording and management experience. ($59, Free Trial available) 8. AudioNote Best for – take audio notes during lectures AudioNote lets you combine a note-taking app and audio recording app.
This is how it works: you can open AudioNote and start recording the lectures, interviews or something else. When you make notes on the screen, it will be synced with the audio. So, during the playback, you can listen to the audio as well as seeing all the notes on the screen. There are some really cool features too. For instance, you can tap on one section of your notes to jump into the corresponding section in audio.
As a note-taking software, you can bring text, shapes, annotations and a lot more things. Once you are done, you can also convert your notes to a PDF document.
The best part is that you have everything in sync. Pros. An excellent way to record and sync notes. Easy interface. iCloud integration Cons.
None worth noting The Verdict AudioNote is the best option for students and professionals alike. With this tool in your hand, you don’t have to worry about getting the list in the notes. You would know what the professor was talking about when you’d written something. Pretty cool, isn’t it? ($14.99) Best Audio Recording Software for Mac Well, these are the different kind of audio recording software for Mac, for different needs. For your day-to-day casual recording needs, Simple Recorder is the best option, indeed. On the other hand, if you are into the world of podcast recording, go for Audio Hijack from Rogue Amoeba.
Options like GarageBand as well as Audacity are for those who need professional-quality control over the recording quality and process. Still, you can take an effort to step up the game.
Online content creation is becoming more prominent thanks to the power of the internet and the relevance of digital social media. Videos and podcasts are seeing massive growth and saturation, both of which require exceptional audio quality. In order for your content to come out on top, the right tools are required but sometimes a free alternative is necessary to get started. In this article, we will be going over 4 free audio recording software programs for Mac computers exclusively. The only time you would have to spend money on these would be if you chose to make in-software purchases or if you decided to upgrade to the full version.
The best part about these audio recording software programs is how easy they are to use so beginner level content creators won't become overwhelmed. Let's get into it: Apowersoft Audio Recorder for Mac Picture a world where audio recording software not only records your voice, but can record audio from any website, video, or music streaming service on the internet.
Our list starts strong with one of the most versatile audio recording software programs out there for Mac owners. Apowersoft is loaded with a plethora of features to help users achieve high quality audio recordings. Apowersoft features include:. Converting audio format to MP3, WMV, WMA, M4R, and more. Burn CD's. Record online audio from any audio source or radio stream. Schedule audio recording so you can record and start at any time you like.
Audio editing for custom ringtones from the audio you record Recording vocals in Apowersoft can be done by clicking the big red button at the bottom left hand corner. The pause button is right beside the recording button so you can stop the recording and resume whenever you deem fit. The library feature in Apowersoft is unique because it gives users access to all of their recorded audio files and to add custom thumbnails to get rid of the default music symbol that appears automatically on mp3 files. This allows for customization and organization methods so users can recognize their desired audio files without any sort of hassle.
Try Apowersoft for yourself and you won't regret the decision. Garageband Originally released in 2004, Garageband is one of the most well-known audio recording software products available. The main focus of Garageband is creating music and podcasts, but it can do much more.
Comparing the Garageband of today with the 2004 version is really jaw dropping when you look at all the new features and plug-ins that have been implemented into it. Apple has done an amazing job keeping the software current over the last 14 years. Constant updates of their plug-ins, along with a dizzying amount of instrumental loops and vocal effects just goes to show Garageband can hold up and compete with other professional audio recording software. Some of the newer features today’s version of Garageband range from:. Built in Music Lessons.
MIDI-Editing. Mixing and Mastering Tools.
Drum, Guitar, and Piano Loops. Beat sequencer Editorial Note on Transport Controls: I would like to commend Apple for finally moving the transport controls to the top of the screen instead the bottom much like the more professional audio recording software Logic Pro X (also exclusively for Macs, however it’s not free).
IScream is a downloadable audio recording software is great for short bits that you may want to use for YouTube videos or even ad-libs that you want to put into your music. This software is fairly basic and doesn't offer the most number of features or plug-ins, but that's what iScream is really meant for. The amount of audio formats this software supports reinforces just how rudimentary it really is.
IScream only supports MP3, AAC, and WAV so your options are limited. That's not to say the quality of your audio will suffer. IScream does an excellent job of recording high quality, short bits of audio quickly and easily. To record, you simply click the icon and it starts recording. To stop, you click the icon again and it stops recording saves the audio to a pre-set location.
IScream is nothing fancy, just an audio recording software for people who appreciate the simple things in life. Audacity Although Audacity can run on a windows PC as well as a Mac, and we included it in our article, we felt it would be criminal to leave this highly reputable audio recording software off the list. Like Garageband, Audacity is a well-known free audio recording and audio editing software for starting musicians. Audacity is best known for its ability to record and edit audio with endless amounts of effects and plug-ins that come with it.
I used Audacity a lot when I made YouTube videos mainly to remove background noise and fuzz from my audio as well as adding bass to my vocals. Some features Audacity offers are:. Noise Reduction. Equalization. Bass Boost.
Compression. Echo. Change Pitch. Change Speed Audacity is one of the most effective and most trustworthy audio recording software products out there.
If you can master Audacity your audio will sound as grand as if it came from a professional audio engineer. Take Your Pick All the audio recording software listed above will definitely help beginners gain experience and knowledge towards audio recording. Keep in mind that the free options on this list aren't going to give you the same experience or the high number of tools to work with like other high-end audio recording software will.
One thing I can assure is that once you are able to master and maneuver around these free audio recording software programs you can take your audio quality to the next level.